The Marvel Universe embraces the Secret Empire.
Superhero event comics are a funny thing. Even the best writers often struggle to wrangle these unwieldy beasts and deliver a compelling, artfully crafted story. Only a handful of writers at Marvel really seem to have the trick down. Luckily, Nick Spencer is among them. Spencer already defied the odds once with last year's Avengers Standoff crossover, and he seems poised to recreate that magic with Secret Empire.
With Captain America: Steve Rogers and Secret Empire #0 getting most of the setup for this event out of the way, Spencer and artist Steve McNiven are free to hit the ground running as the story officially begins here. In fact, the creators make the unexpected choice to jump ahead several months after the events of Secret Empire #0, to a time when Hydra has already settled into its new role as America's ruling power. So the question is no longer whether the Avengers can beat back Hydra's takeover, but how they can hope to topple this new world order. And with only a scattered few heroes remaining in the wake of Hydra's multi-pronged strike, the odds certainly aren't looking good.
Right away, it becomes clear that there's a scope and a gravity to this conflict that is too often lacking in Marvel's events. For example, why call a comic "World War Hulk" when the conflict never extends beyond a single city? Why spend so much time building to the events of Secret Invasion, only for the endgame to boil down to a pretty textbook example of heroes punching aliens? But by starting Secret Empire in this advanced stage, with Hydra working its coils into every facet of American life, Spencer ensures that this isn't just another tale of empty costumed spectacle. There are immediately very real and very obvious consequences to the new status quo. The narration in this issue even gets pretty meta as it acknowledges the fact that these events so often over-promise and under-deliver. Spencer isn't always the most subtle of writers, but he certainly knows how to make a statement.
But for all the impact Secret Empire is already having on the Marvel U. Spencer and McNiven also take great pains to make this a very intimate, character-driven story. Much of this issue is seen through the eyes of a boy named Rayshaun, one of the few ordinary civilians with the presence of mind to see the new Hydra regime for what it really is and yearn for the world as it was. There's also a great deal of focus on Cap himself. As far as the Star-Spangled Avenger has fallen of late, Spencer makes it clear that Steve is still very much a man doing what he feels is right and struggling against the those who would have him compromise his principles. That Steve sinks even further into villainy here only further highlights the question of how Spencer and his artists plan on redeeming the character by the end. My concern with such a Cosmic Cube-centric storyline is that Marvel will take the easy way out rather than forcing Steve to deal with the long-term consequences of his actions. But Spencer has shown no sign so far that he plans on taking the easy road.
One of Spencer's great strengths when it comes to crafting event comics is that he's never afraid to balance out the drama and spectacle with copious doses of humor (the Kobik/Kraven tea party sequence from Avengers Standoff comes to mind). Thankfully, Secret Empire follows that same formula. Yes, there's a lot of darkness and despair at play in this issue. But there are also moments of pure fun, and even a little romance on the side. This reads like a well-balanced event comic, one that seeks to entertain as well as shock readers and comment on the current political state of the world.
Having McNiven on board in this first issue is key. McNiven is among the best in the industry when it comes to rendering sleek, detailed superheroes and epic battles. McNiven gives the series a very approachable, even inviting feel, which is great considering how often Captain America: Steve Rogers has been marred by inconsistent fill-in art. Funnily enough, it's actually the less superhero-focused sequences that stand out the most. McNiven, inker Jay Leisten and colorist Matthew Wilson bring a very dark, foreboding feel to the scenes featuring Cap and his fellow heads of Hydra. The opening sequences, with its subtly unnerving depiction of a peaceful, post-Hydra America serves to open the story on a terrific note.
That all being said, McNiven's work sometimes struggles in terms of the finer details, which is very uncharacteristic for the artist. His facial work is particularly inconsistent. At times characters have a flat, distorted look, with the coloring struggling to add depth where McNiven's lines fail. In other cases, McNiven is a little too heavy-handed with his facial details. One sequence involving Cap confronting a would-be tyrant stands out in this regard, with the excessive lines on Cap's face making him look old and weather-beaten rather than proud and defiant. McNiven's art still looks great most of the time, but this isn't his strongest Marvel effort by any means.
The Verdict
While the art in this issue isn't quite as consistent as it needs to be, in general Secret Empire is shaping up to be one of the rare crossover events that actually delivers on the hype. This opening chapter sets the stage well, establishing a drastically different Marvel Universe that's already feeling the influence of Hydra's reign. It offers a winning blend of character drama, superhero spectacle, and even significant humor to balance out the darker moments. If that balance can be maintained over the long haul, readers are in for a treat this summer.
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